Microstructure and Tribological Properties of Laser Melting Deposited Ti‐6Al‐4V Coating on Cu‐Cr‐Zr Substrate

Copper alloys are extensively utilized in electronics, electrical, and transportation because of their outstanding thermal and electrical conductivity. However, their low hardness and wear resistance restrict their utilization in some special environments. To address these issues, laser melting deposition (LMD) is utilized to fabricate Ti‐6Al‐4V coating on Cu‐Cr‐Zr substrate. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the interface between the coating and the substrate are analyzed. The results show that the composition of the transition zone is highly eutectic, mainly composed of Cu 3 Ti 2 and Cu 4 Ti. The LMD‐constructed Ti‐6Al‐4V/Cu‐Cr‐Zr (TC4/Cu‐Cr‐Zr) has a shear strength of 101.11 MPa and a shear deformation strain of more than 23%. In terms of wear resistance, the wear rate of the coating is measured at 8.29 × 10 −5 mm 3 N −1 m −1 under a 5 N load, which represents a 64.27% reduction compared to that of the substrate. The microhardness of the coating increased by a factor of 3.84 compared to that of the substrate. In general, Cu was melted into the titanium coating under LMD. The intermetallic compounds generated by reaction between Cu and titanium promoted the coating bonding strength, and the titanium coating improved the wear resistance of the copper alloy.